Overlapped Pathways of Autism Genes and Cancer Genes are Targeted by Viruses

Genes of the Ras-MAPK and the PI3K-AKT-mTOR/PTEN pathways demonstrate numerous mutations in whole-exome testing of autistic individuals and in many cancers, and they are also affected in certain genetic syndromes associated with autism such as tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis type 1, Noonan's syndrome, and fragile X Syndrome.These pathways include genes related to cell growth and hence might also serve as viral targets specifically of viruses implicated in autism such as rubella, CMV, EBV, HSV1, HSV2, HHV6, and polyomaviruses.This article shows that these viruses associated with autism affect genes of these two pathways with mutations common to both autism and cancer.